Favorite hotel of the rich.

I stayed two nights at the Four Seasons atop Mandalay Bay during a conference. The company only paid a per diem amount, I chose to pay the rest just because.

My room was probably a standard room, as nice a standard room and as nice a bathroom as could be had at any 4-5 star place. View was of the mountains, though very high up and no parking garage or air ducts. The notable things: ultra gracious behavior of all the staff, separate elevator from MB rooms (actually no big deal). If you called for something from the room it was like they were standing outside waiting for your call, such fast response. I didn't use any of the other facilities like gym, spa, etc.

Bottom line, I wouldn't pay full fare to stay there again, though it was lovely and nice to be spoken to as if I were the Queen of England or something.

I've had comped rooms as nice at Wynn, and Bellagio (with better views). I've stayed at other Four Seasons hotels (again, for conferences). They all have their unique designs, e.g. the mountainside cabins at Scottsdale (though very nice). Not cabins, but I forget the word. Nice, but not worth extending your limited budget for. I suspect the name enables them to be overrated, price wise.

As for Bellagio, it is my favorite, paid or comped as long as I get the fountain view. Bel has a great Host system and I imagine the rich folks get their hineys kissed, and I know they get everything they could possibly want as far as special treatment. Plus the lobby ceiling, the Conservatory (you've never seen so many Asians with cameras (NTTAWWT) in your life.

Interesting about the Bellagio Villas. I've been in rooms where I could look down on them, and never ever have seen a human moving about, even on their patios or pools (each villa has them), except for a worker now and then. They can't see the fountains? I know they get their own cook and butler, etc. (Read it in the brochure.)

After staying with our friend in the Villa I got several letters from his host with invites, not to the Villa though. I never accepted them, I know that I am not going to gamble enough to warrant a Bellagio comp.
My friend plays baccarat and BJ for thousands a hand. He stays in a villa and gets private air transportation from John Wayne fairly regularly.
He would be the first to fill out a survey on his preferences, though I doubt that is usual among his income bracket.

When we stayed at the villa there was a butler but no cook. The butler was dedicated to the villa and would be there within 10 seconds anytime you rang.
As for the patio (we called it the back yard) we used it a lot. Of course we had a young child that wouldn't get out of the pool.

They have a poker room that draws lots of the really "rich". But, I too am somewhat surprised by this.